1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the printers used in conjunction with personal computers. More specifically, it involves a way to make such a printer more versatile by providing it with the capability to accommodate more than one paper output medium at any given time.
2. Background Information
Within the past decade, the personal computer industry has grown so quickly that these small computers have come to be considered almost an absolute necessity, rather than a luxury, for those operating small businesses, such as pharmacies, medical or dental practices, and the like. Through the use of such computers, and appropriately designed software, businessmen are able to maintain their accounts, budgets and inventories in a form that can be readily accessible, easy to manage, and much less prone to the problems that can befall paper files.
It is easy with this technology to maintain lists of current or prospective customers and suppliers on appropriate storage media. Often, drawing from such a list, a small businessman or other personal computer user has occasion to do a mass mailing as a way to conduct, for example, an advertising campaign. A general form letter to be sent to all in the target group is composed with spaces left in the appropriate places for insertion of addressee information. Then, the file of target addresses is accessed and a "personalized" letter to each in that group is printed out.
When this job has been completed, the same file of target addressees must again be accessed in order that mailing labels can be printed. While this in itself is a simple matter, the troublesome, intermediate step of changing the output medium must first be performed. In a rather short time, the repeated changing of output media, in order to make full use of the personal computer's capabilities, becomes quite tiresome.
Currently, the only alternative open to the personal computer user is to purchase a second printer and to dedicate it to the printing of mailing labels alone. Then, either by selecting the printer desired through a software command or by changing the position of an external switch, output would be directed to one printer or the other.
While this option would allow one to avoid the repeated substitution of various paper media in a single printer, it calls for the additional investment in a second printer and associated connecting hardware. In addition, one loses the use of the additional desk or table space required by the second printer.
These difficulties would be solved by the availability of a single printer having a carriage wide enough to accommodate more than one output media side-by-side at any given time. For example, with reference to the above discussion, a printer wide enough to handle both 80-column letter stationary and 35-column address labels would present a highly desirable option to a small businessman who wishes to make more efficient use of his personal computer and printer.